Not surprisingly, the Timbers used the first overall pick to select midfielder Dax McCarty from FC Dallas. But two hours later, the Timbers then turned around and traded McCarty to D.C. United in exchange for midfielder Rodney Wallace and a fourth-round draft choice in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft January 12.

"We identified midfielders that we think have similar attributes as Dax," said Gavin Wilkinson, the Timbers technical director. "We also needed a little bit of room in our (salary) cap number."

The Timbers also pulled the shock of the draft by selecting forward Robbie Findley from Real Salt Lake and defender Jonathan Bornstein from Chivas USA, two players widely expected to leave MLS.

The Timbers and the Vancouver Whitecaps each selected 10 players in the draft. The Timbers originally selected five defenders, four midfielders and one forward in the draft.

"We've come out of the expansion draft like there was only one team in it," Portland coach John Spencer said. "We looked at who we wanted and we picked the guys we were hoping to get and we got the guys that we wanted. We took a giant step toward building a very good soccer foundation for the coming years."

Findley and Bornstein, two members of the 2010 United States men's national team that competed in the FIFA World Cup last summer, are rumored to be headed to Europe and Mexico respectively. The Timbers are taking a long-term view the selections.

"They're both young, national team players that could go overseas for 10 years. They could go overseas for 10 months," Spencer said. "Anything is possible in the game. Sometimes you make moves as a professional player that don't always work out."

The boldest move by the Timbers was the selection of Findley, the former Oregon State star forward. Findley has been reported to be on his way to play somewhere in Europe, possibly with one of two Danish teams -- Brondby IF or Randers FC.

Another potential issue with Findley is salary. Findley's base salary was $73,556 in 2010, but he's expecting a big pay increase in his next deal. The Timbers were leaning against a huge payout to a big-name player, but Findley might be a little more affordable after a disappointing 2010 season. Findley scored five goals and had four assists in 2010, but those numbers represented a sharp decrease compared to Findley's 12 goals while leading Real Salt Lake to the MLS Cup championship in 2009.

"We have been told there's a small chance that he would stay in MLS. We have also heard that his agent said that Portland is one of the few places he would love to play," Wilkinson said. "Robbie is a great player who is very resilient. If we can have Robbie play for us next year or in three years, it would be tremendous for the organization."

Bornstein reportedly has signed with Tigres UANL of Mexico's Primera Division. The 26-year-old defender started in 17 of the 21 games he appeared in 2010. But after five seasons in MLS, Bornstein decided the time was right for a change.

"I look forward and see what's ahead of me in terms of the adventure, and moving to Mexico and starting a new life there and starting with a new club," Bornstein told the Riverside Press-Enterprise.

Spencer insisted that the Timbers think they can sign Findley and Bornstein, whether now or later.

"We don't want to be known as an organization that picks players that we don't think are going to be a success here," Spencer said. "That's not the reputation we want as a football club."

The Timbers selected players who they think have a real chance of not only securing a roster spot, but also of being a starter next season.

Eric Brunner is a rugged defender who helped anchor the back line on the defensive-minded Columbus Crew. Brunner's teammate, midfielder Adam Moffat started 23 of 24 games with the Crew and scored two goals in 2010.

Most of the players the Timbers selected and retained in the expansion draft or traded for throughout the week are young with some MLS experience. The Timbers have steadfastly maintained a general philosophy about what type of player they want on the team going into the MLS season.

"We've got guys who have played in the league for a number of years. We have young pieces with some, but not a great amount of experience in Major League Soccer. Now we have to blend the two together," Spencer said. "It's about getting guys that fit into the system that we're looking to play and putting the right pieces in the right areas on the field."

Note: The Timbers drafted left halfback Anthony Wallace from Colorado and then traded him back to Colorado for allocation money...Portland also traded 10th pick Arturo Alvarez to Real Salt Lake for the higher of RSL's two second-round picks in the MLS SuperDraft.